A gratifying, bighearted tale about community, belonging, and cats.
An abandoned mansion inhabited by cats is set to be demolished, but one small girl might be the key to saving it.
When 12-year-old Fiona once again attempts to run away from the tiny apartment she shares with her aunt, she happens upon a dilapidated, historic home, known to its feline residents as The City. Perhaps saving this place and these lost cats is the Destiny that Fiona’s been seeking ever since her parents died, leaving her adrift. She quickly realizes this will be no easy feat: Destruction is imminent, and Fiona and the cats all struggle to determine whom to trust and whom to blame. Third-person chapters shift among the perspectives of Fiona (who has dark eyes and curly dark hair), three of the cats (each with a distinct personality), and a demolition worker. Delightful poetic interludes from two lost parakeets who also live in the house, as well as various notes, flyers, and news bulletins, appear between chapters, adding intrigue and offering additional insights into what’s happening in the diverse community. With all these different elements and perspectives, readers may at first require patience, but everything comes together in a rewarding and exciting way with surprising twists and reveals. Fiona’s journey to advocacy is inspiring, and the book thoughtfully touches on not just the need for shelters for animals, but the human housing crisis as well.
A gratifying, bighearted tale about community, belonging, and cats. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781774882108
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The whimsy is slight—the story is not—and both its interest and its vocabulary are for the youngest members of this age...
Beverly Cleary has written all kinds of books (the most successful ones about the irrepressible Henry Huggins) but this is her first fantasy.
Actually it's plain clothes fantasy grounded in the everyday—except for the original conceit of a mouse who can talk and ride a motorcycle. A toy motorcycle, which belongs to Keith, a youngster, who comes to the hotel where Ralph lives with his family; Ralph and Keith become friends, Keith gives him a peanut butter sandwich, but finally Ralph loses the motorcycle—it goes out with the dirty linen. Both feel dreadfully; it was their favorite toy; but after Keith gets sick, and Ralph manages to find an aspirin for him in a nearby room, and the motorcycle is returned, it is left with Ralph....
The whimsy is slight—the story is not—and both its interest and its vocabulary are for the youngest members of this age group. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 1965
ISBN: 0380709244
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1965
BOOK TO SCREEN
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